De-laminator apparatus and method with leader diverter

A laminating system comprising:

• receiver stock;
• a lamination sheet of the type including a carrier, a material to be applied to the receiver stock, and de-lamination leader associated with one edge of the lamination sheet, the de-lamination leader having a predetermined length;
• a fuser through which a sandwich of the receiver stock and the lamination sheet, with material to be applied to the receiver stock between the carrier of the lamination sheet and the receiver stock, is fed with the de-lamination leader and the one edge facing in the direction of feed to apply the material to the receiver stock;
• a stripper bar associated with the fuser such that the de-lamination leader and the carrier can be tensioned sharply around the stripper bar as the sandwich emerges from the fuser, said stripper bar being a predetermined distance from the fuser;
• and
• a pair of driven nip rollers which receive the de-lamination leader therebetween as the sandwich emerges from the fuser to tension the carrier, thereby breaking the bond between the carrier and the receiver stock, the stripper bar and the nip rollers being separated by a distance at least as great as the length of the de-lamination leader.

A laminating system for bonding, to receiver stock, a lamination sheet of the type including a carrier, a material to be applied to the receiver stock, and a de-lamination leader associated with one edge of the lamination sheet;

• and for de-laminating the carrier from the receiver stock after the material has been applied to the receiver stock, said laminating system comprising:
• a fuser through which a sandwich of receiver stock and lamination sheet, with material to be applied to the receiver stock between the carrier of the lamination sheet and the receiver stock, is fed with the de-lamination leader and the one edge facing in the direction of feed to apply the material to the receiver stock;
• a pair of driven nip rollers which receive the de-lamination leader therebetween as the sandwich emerges from the fuser to tension the carrier, thereby breaking the bond between the carrier and the receiver stock;
• and
• a stripper bar associated with the fuser such that the de-lamination leader and the carrier can be tensioned sharply around the stripper bar as the sandwich emerges from the fuser, said stripper bar being a predetermined distance from the fuser so that the sandwich is allowed to cool sufficiently to inhibit color pick-off while effecting de-lamination before the sandwich has cooled enough to cause bonding between the carrier and the receiver stock, said stripper bar being adjustably mounted for movement toward and away from the fuser, whereby the predetermined distance from the fuser is changeable to adjust the amount of cooling of the sandwich before peeling.